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Explore Ethiopian Culture in Washington, DC
Ethiopians began immigrating to the United States in the 1970s, and many landed in the DC Metro area. They established communities in the Adams Morgan neighborhood and Shaw’s 9th Street corridor, which was abuzz with restaurants, markets and shops and became known as “Little Ethiopia.” In 2019, the DC government renewed its Sister City Agreement between Addis Ababa to enhance the collaborative partnership between the two capitals. A year later, a ceremonial resolution to officially honor the corridor as “Little Ethiopia” was approved by DC Council.
Fall 2024 Museum Exhibits & Experiences to Check Out in Washington, DC
Staging the Supernatural: Ghosts and the Theater in Japanese Prints – Through Oct. 6 The Japanese Edo period (1603–1868) gave credence to essential ideas about the supernatural in Japanese culture. Many of the beliefs that came to prominence during this time are still held as conventional wisdom today. This exhibit at the National Museum of Asian Art allows you to explore the roles that ghosts and spirits play in the retelling of Japanese legends as well as real events. Staging the Supernatural features woodblock prints and illustrated books that showcase the spooky specters that haunt the Japanese theater traditions of noh and kabuki. 10 a.m. – 5:30 p.m. | Free Admission National Museum of Asian Art, 1050 Independence Avenue SW, Washington, DC 20560 Park Chan-kyong: Gathering – Through Oct. 13 The Seoul-based Park Chan-kyong has gained international recognition for photography and film that has been unflinching in its examination of the history of modern Korea. The National Museum of Asian Art will showcase the first solo presentation of his work in a major U.S. museum. The exhibition features images that highlight the artists’ masterful use of the camera to capture tradition, history and disaster in a contemporary society. 10 a.m. – 5:30 p.m. | Free Admission National Museum of Asian Art, 1050 Independence Avenue SW, Washington, DC 20560 Recent Acquisitions – Through Oct. 27 The National Portrait Gallery’s annual display of its most recent additions will feature 21 pieces this fall. The latest iteration of the exhibit will focus exclusively on portraits representing women or made by women. Subjects include Beyoncé, Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, writer Octavia Butler, actress Greta Garbo and many more. 11:30 a.m. – 7 p.m. | Free Admission National Portrait Gallery, 8th and G Streets NW, Washington, DC 20001 Sewn in America: Making, Meaning, Memory – Through Dec. 31 The DAR Museum presents a groundbreaking exhibit featuring sewn items from every textile section of its collections including clothing, household items, needlework and quilts. Sewn in America examines how the activity shaped gender roles, from the homestead to professions like dressmaking, tailoring and factory work. Pieces from the 18th century to today will be juxtaposed to show how women of diverse backgrounds have used needles to express emotions and battle injustice. Hours | Free Admission DAR Museum, 1776 D Street NW, Washington, DC 20006 Imprints in Time – Through Jan. 5, 2025 The recently renovated and reopened Folger Shakespeare Library offers a special exhibition filled with objects rarely displayed to the public. Visitors can go on a journey through time and space, from the tombs of ancient Egypt all the way to the surface of the Moon. Stuart and Mimi Rose’s collection of manuscripts and books informs a momentous survey of human history, knowledge and creativity. Hours | Free Admission Folger Shakespeare Library, 201 East Capitol Street SE, Washington, DC 20003 Star Power: Photographs from Hollywood’s Golden Age by George Hurrell – Through Jan. 5, 2025 Hollywood’s premiere photographer during the onset of the studio system, George Hurrell set the template for how to capture the brightest stars of the cinematic universe. As MGM’s in-house portraitist and in his own studio, Hurrell used lighting expertise and the sharpest of eyes to create glamorous images of Greta Garbo, Clark Gable, Spencer Tracy and many, many more. The National Portrait Gallery displays many of these Golden Era photographs in the new exhibit. 11:30 a.m. – 7 p.m. | Free Admission National Portrait Gallery, 8th and G Streets NW, Washington, DC 20001 Fragile Beauty: Art of the Ocean – Through Jan. 5, 2025 In honor of the majesty of the ocean, Hillwood showcases a variety of marine-related art in its collection for the very first time. Originally inspired by the rediscovery of one of the largest paintings at Hillwood (once owned by Marjorie Post's father, C.W. Post), Fragile Beauty explores representations of water and art crafted by precious materials. Hours & Admission Hillwood Estate, Museum & Gardens, 4155 Linnean Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008 Conversations: Kerry James Marshall and John Singleton Copley – Through Jan. 31, 2025 The National Gallery of Art opens its second installation as part of the Conversations series, which focuses on three masterpieces from artists working nearly two centuries apart. An 18th century canvas by John Singleton Copley and two 20th century works by Kerry James Marshall each address the horrors of the Middle Passage and the transatlantic slave trade. Visitors can consider each in a shared exhibition space for the first time. 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. | Free Admission National Gallery of Art, 6th Street & Constitution Avenue NW, Washington, DC Brilliant Exiles: American Women in Paris, 1900-1939 – Through Feb. 23, 2025 Be amazed by sixty defiant women who made the courageous decision to cross the Atlantic Ocean to pursue their artistic dreams immersed in the majesty of Paris and its dynamic cultural scene. Brilliant Exiles marks the first exhibition to focus on the impact of American women on Paris – and of Paris on American women – from 1900 to the outbreak of the second World War. You can gaze at portraits of icons such as Josephine Baker, Isadora Duncan, Zelda Fitzgerald, Loïs Mailou Jones, Edna St. Vincent Millay, Anaïs Nin, Gertrude Stein, Ethel Waters and Anna May Wong. 11:30 a.m. – 7 p.m. | Free Admission National Portrait Gallery, 8th and G Streets NW, Washington, DC 20001 A Bold and Beautiful Vision: A Century of Black Arts Education in Washington, DC, 1900-2000 – Through March 2, 2025 The Anacostia Community Museum sheds light on fascinating local history with an exhibit featuring captivating original artworks, rare video footage and can't-miss artifacts including Alma Thomas’s paintbrushes and watercolor paint set, an early 20th-century lifelike marionette that William Buckner made with his local high school students, original Elizabeth Catlett prints that once hung in the halls of her DC high school and Sam Gilliam pieces from his tenure as a teacher at McKinley Technical High School. Experience the influence, power and creativity of the Black artist-educators who empowered generations of DC students. 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. | Free Admission Smithsonian's Anacostia Community Museum, 1901 Fort Place SE, Washington, DC 20020 Bond In Motion – Through April 2025 Across more than six decades of films, James Bond has become the on-screen embodiment of spies for millions. The International Spy Museum pays homage to the fictional character, along with his allies and adversaries, with a breathtaking display of iconic vehicles from the movies. In total, visitors can fix their eyes on 17 pieces, including cars, motorcycles, submarines and even more from the Q Branch Garage. Hours & Admission International Spy Museum, 700 L’Enfant Plaza SW, Washington, DC 20024 Revolutions: Art from the Hirshhorn Collection, 1860-1960 – Through April 20, 2025 This year, the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden brings you one exciting event after another in celebration of their 50th anniversary. The museum's latest exhibit features works from more than 120 artists, so we suggest giving yourself plenty of time to soak up all the wonder. The revolutionary installation offers well-known masterpieces alongside contemporary creations from a wide range of artists including Francis Bacon, Jean Dubuffet, Lee Krasner, Wifredo Lam, Jacob Lawrence, Georgia O’Keeffe and Jackson Pollock. 10 a.m. - 5:30 p.m. | Free admission Hirshhorn Museum & Sculpture Garden, Independence Avenue & 7th Street NW, Washington, DC 20560 Isaac Julien: Lessons of the Hour – Frederick Douglass – Through Nov. 26, 2026 The first joint acquisition of the National Portrait Gallery and the Smithsonian American Art Museum (the two share a building) is Sir Isaac Julien’s fascinating moving image installation, which blends period reenactments across give screens to give the viewer insight into the life, accomplishments, activism and brilliance of Frederick Douglass (1818-1895). 11:30 a.m. – 7 p.m. | Free Admission National Portrait Gallery, 8th and G Streets NW, Washington, DC 20001 Do Ho Suh: Public Figures – Through April 29, 2029 South Korean artist Do Ho Suh has created a special edition of his work Public Figures for installation at the very front of the National Museum of Asian Art, signifying the next phase of the museum. Suh was commissioned for the project thanks to his outstanding international reputation. He was one of the earliest contemporary artists featured at the museum and this new sculpture will be the first installed outside the Freer Gallery of Art in more than 30 years. 10 a.m. – 5:30 p.m. | Free Admission National Museum of Asian Art, 1050 Independence Avenue SW, Washington, DC 20560 Change Your Game – Ongoing The National Museum of American History’s Lemelson Center for the Study of Invention developed a new exhibit filled with interactive elements that highlight the intersection of invention, sports and technology. Items on display include a prototype of the Jogbra from the 1970s, a football helmet with Crash Cloud prototype to help protect the brain, a Hawk-Eye camera used during the pandemic by the U.S. Open to automate line calls and prostheses that made extreme sports possible for athletes with amputations. 10 a.m. – 5:30 p.m. | Free Admission Smithsonian National Museum of American History, 1300 Constitution Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20560 Building Stories – Ongoing The National Building Museum invites your family to embark on an immersive exploration of architecture, construction, engineering and design found in children’s books. Curated by children’s literature expert Leonard Marcus, Building Stories marks the first national exhibition to showcase the built environment’s role as an essential character in formative tales of our collective youth. Expect plenty of interactive elements. Hours & Admission National Building Museum, 401 F Street NW, Washington, DC 20001 John Akomfrah: Five Murmurations – Ongoing Artist and filmmaker John Akomfrah addresses the COVID-19 pandemic, the murder of George Floyd and worldwide protests in support of Black Lives Matter in a visual essay to define our turbulent times. Utilizing an image archive filled with seminal works of art and scenes shot during the fraught 18-month period between 2019 and 2021, Five Murmurations features insights into post-colonialism, diasporic experience and the concept of collective memory. 10 a.m. – 5:30 p.m. | Free Admission Smithsonian National Museum of African Art, 950 Independence Avenue SW, Washington, DC 20560 Glen Kaino: Bridge This jaw-dropping aerial sculpture is comprised of 200 golden arms hanging from the ceiling of the Smithsonian American Art Museum’s Luce Foundation Center. Each piece is a casting of the outstretched right arm of Tommie Smith, the American winner of the men’s 200-meter race at the 1968 Olympic Games in Mexico City. During the medal ceremony, Smith bowed his head and raised his Black-gloved fist in an act of protest. Decades later, Glen Kaino collaborated with Smith on the grand statement of an installation. 11:30 a.m. – 7 p.m. | Free Admission Smithsonian American Art Museum, 8th and G Streets NW, Washington, DC 20004 Tuan Andrew Nguyen: The Island – Aug. 16 – May 4, 2025 In his DC debut, Tuan Andrew Nguyen presents his video work The Island (2017) alongside the sculpted headdress Bidong Spirit I, which was created specifically for the film. Both works were inspired by and reference the Malaysian island of Pulau Bidong, a landing place for Vietnamese escaping by boat after South Vietnam’s collapse in 1975. 11:30 a.m. – 7 p.m. | Free Admission Smithsonian American Art Museum, 8th & G Streets NW, Washington, DC 20004 Paris 1874: The Impressionist Moment – Sept. 8 – Jan. 19, 2025 Discover the origins of one of the most important art movements in history thanks to a new exhibit at the National Gallery of Art. The museum is replicating a legendary exhibit from Paris in 1874 that helped bring about the dawn of Impressionism. In the display, you will be able to view beloved paintings by Claude Monet, Pierre-Auguste Renoir, Paul Cézanne, Edgar Degas, Camille Pissaro and many more. 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. | Free Admission National Gallery of Art, 6th Street & Constitution Avenue NW, Washington, DC Sightlines: Chinatown and Beyond – Sept. 7 – Nov. 30, 2025 A new exhibit at the Smithsonian American Art Museum, presented by the Smithsonian Asian Pacific American Center, will showcase the imprint of Asian Americans on the physical and cultural terrain of the nation's capital. Installed in a gallery that overlooks DC's Chinatown, the exhibition features examples of cultural products that feature Chinese, Korean and Japanese heritage and/or express coalitional Asian American and BIPOC identities. These include displays of artwork, material culture, images and other graphic material drawn from Smithsonian collections and shared by local lenders, including community members and repositories such as the DC History Center and the Moorland-Spingarn Research Center at Howard University. A free celebration on Sept. 7 marks the exhibit's opening. 11:30 a.m. – 7 p.m. | Free Admission Smithsonian American Art Museum, 8th & G Streets NW, Washington, DC 20004 In the Library: Life in the Impressionists’ Paris – Sept. 9 – Jan. 20, 2025 A companion piece to Paris 1874, the National Gallery of Art displays dozens of photographs and prints in its Library Atrium. The exhibit provides insight and context for the great late 19th-century Impressionist works as the images illuminate a society changing rapidly thanks to industrialization, widespread military clashes, new technologies and the redefinition of urban spaces. 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. | Free Admission National Gallery of Art, 6th Street & Constitution Avenue NW, Washington, DC Sublime Light: Tapestry Art of DY Begay – Sept. 20 – Summer 2025 In honor of one of the great fiber artists, the National Museum of the American Indian showcases 48 works by DY Begay. Across these dozens of tapestries, Begay explores her homeland and heritage through a divine sense of color, stirring innovation and sharp eye for design. Her pieces effectively illustrate a non-Western way of being to contemporary audiences. 10 a.m. – 5:30 p.m. | Free Admission National Museum of the American Indian, 4th Street & Independence Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20560 An Epic of Kings: The Great Mongol Shahnama – Sept. 21 – Jan. 5, 2025 One of the most celebrated medieval Persian manuscripts – considered the national epic of Iran as it covers the beginning of time through the 7th century – informs a new exhibit at the National Museum of Asian Art. The Great Mongol Shahnama (now dismantled) includes stories and illustrations; the exhibit offers a rare opportunity to view 25 folios from the manuscript alongside contemporaneous works from China, the Mediterranean and the Latin West. 10 a.m. – 5:30 p.m. | Free Admission National Museum of Asian Art, 1050 Independence Avenue SW, Washington, DC 20560 Spirit & Strength: Modern Art from Haiti – Sept. 29 – March 9, 2025 The world’s first Black republic flourished with creativity in the mid-1900s thanks to seminal painters like Hector Hyppolite, Rigaud Benoît and Philomé Obin. Their images and depictions of Haitian daily life, religious traditions and history influenced generations of artists. The National Gallery of Art’s exhibit offers the first chance to see 21 works by Haitian artists as well as contemporary pieces that build on their illuminative legacy. 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. | Free Admission National Gallery of Art, 6th Street & Constitution Avenue NW, Washington, DC OSGEMEOS: Endless Story – Sept. 29 – July 6, 2025 Gustavo and Otavio Pandolfo are the identical twin brothers that comprise OSGEMEOS, which is Portuguese for “the twins.” The Hirshhorn Museum presents the first U.S. survey and the largest American exhibition of work by the duo to date. In total, the full-floor exhibit features roughly 1,000 artworks, photos and archival materials that detail OSGEMEOS’ unique artistic voice that combines heritage, urban art, graffiti and magical elements. 10 a.m. – 5:30 p.m. | Free Admission Hirshhorn Museum & Sculpture Garden, Independence Avenue & 7th Street NW, Washington, DC 20560 The ‘70s Lens: Reimagining Documentary Photography – Oct. 6 – April 6, 2025 Across a wondrous collection of roughly 100 works by more than 80 artists, the National Gallery of Art gives visitors a chance to explore the dramatic shift in documentary photography that played out during the turmoil-filled decade of the 1970s. As Americans faced the Watergate scandal, inflation, energy crises and a host of other developments, documentary photographers shifted their collective perspective, leading to brilliant images that depict vibrant communities, suburban sprawl, conceptual art, nature and much more. 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. | Free Admission National Gallery of Art, 6th Street & Constitution Avenue NW, Washington, DC William Gropper: Artist of the People – Oct. 17 – Jan. 5, 2025 The Phillips Collection presents DC’s first exhibit dedicated to William Gropper, a social realist whose art addressed mid-20th century political issues with feverish satire and brutal honesty. The son of poor immigrants from Romania and Ukraine, Gropper provided searing commentary on anarchy, labor, democracy, freedom and human rights across thousands of published illustrations, more than 30 of which will be on display at the Phillips. Hours & Admission The Phillips Collection, 1600 21st Street NW, Washington, DC 20009 Felix Gonzalez-Torres: Always to Return – Oct. 18 – July 6, 2025 The National Portrait Gallery and the Archives of American Art present an exhibition that goes in-depth on artist Felix Gonzalez-Torres’ engagement with portraiture, identity and history. Gonzalez-Torres’ groundbreaking work revolutionized the artform, elevating the notion of what a portrait could be. 11:30 a.m. – 7 p.m. | Free Admission Smithsonian’s National Portrait Gallery, 8th and G Streets NW, Washington, DC 20004 Breaking It Down: Conversations from the Vault – Nov. 2 – Jan. 19, 2025 From the outset, Phillips Collection founder Duncan Phillips and his wife, Marjorie, aimed to celebrate individual artists and key aspects of their vision and spirit. In a new exhibit, the museum serves up a deep dive (and new takes) on artists who have come to define the Collection, including Georgia O’Keeffe, Paul Klee, Saam Gilliam and Arthur Dove. Modern groundbreakers like Sean Scully, Joyce Wellman and Sylvia Snowden will also be showcased. Hours & Admission The Phillips Collection, 1600 21st Street NW, Washington, DC 20009 Pictures of Belonging: Miki Hayakawa, Hisako Hibi and Miné Okubo – Nov. 15 – Aug. 17, 2025 The work of three essential American artists of Japanese descent – all women – is explored in-depth at the Smithsonian American Art Museum. Breathtaking in scope, the exhibit proves that Miki Hayakawa, Hisako Hibi and Miné Okubo should be mentioned alongside all the great artistic visionaries in American history. Each suffered through relocation and incarceration during WWII, but were not defined by it, coming to create magnificent and resonant works. 11:30 a.m. – 7 p.m. | Free Admission Smithsonian American Art Museum, 8th & G Streets NW, Washington, DC 20004 The Print Generation – Nov. 16 – April 27, 2025 The National Museum of Asian Art presents a selection of prints, crafted using a new approach as part of the sōsaku hanga (creative print) movement, that tore down the notion of the early-20th century Japanese artist. Made during a time of imperialist expansion, foreign occupation and wartime scarcity, these innovative works broke the constructs of traditional Japanese printmaking and garnered international recognition and acclaim. 10 a.m. – 5:30 p.m. | Free Admission National Museum of Asian Art, 1050 Independence Avenue SW, Washington, DC 20560
Fall 2024: Must-See Shows in Washington, DC
Oh My Heart, Oh My Home. – Opens Sept. 6 Studio Theatre presents “An intimate story about sanctuary, belonging and loneliness” from Fringe First winner Casey Jay Andrews. The magnificent storyteller will gather around a doll’s house and weave a stunning fable about the strike of a meteorite, its impact on a neighborhood and the way it challenges a place’s capacity to contain a feeling. Tickets Studio Theatre, 1501 14th Street NW, Washington, DC 20005 Jaja’s African Hair Braiding – Sept. 6 – Oct. 13 Assimilation, cultural identity and the pursuit of the American dream are all front-and-center in this fascinating production that was nominated for five Tony Awards. Set in Harlem at a bustling hair braiding salon, the play zooms in on the lives of six women (and others) to present a spellbinding portrait of the African immigrant experience in the U.S. Tickets Arena Stage, 1101 6th Street SW, Washington, DC 20024 The Comeuppance – Sept. 8 – Oct. 6 Set in nearby Prince George’s County, Md., The Comeuppance concerns the self-proclaimed “Multi-Ethnic Reject Group” on the night of their 20th high school reunion. A mystical force makes these friends face the past head-on and reckon with an uncertain future. Penned by MacArthur Genius Award winner Branden Jacobs-Jenkins, the play garnered a New York Times Critic’s Pick. Tickets Woolly Mammoth Theatre, 641 D Street NW, Washington, DC 20004 Comedy of Errors – Sept. 10 – Oct. 6 One of Shakespeare’s earliest plays shows that The Bard knew how to make audiences chuckle as well as he knew how to make them cry. Hilarity ensues in a case of mistaken identities as Artistic Director Simon Godwin directs an uproarious affair that will add some rock ‘n’ roll to a humorously topsy-turvy family saga. Tickets Klein Theatre, 450 7th Street NW, Washington, DC 20004 Primary Trust – Sept. 10 – Oct. 20 Winner of the 2024 Pulitzer Prize and a highly acclaimed New York Times Critic’s Pick, Primary Trust makes its DC-area premiere thanks to Signature Theatre in Arlington, Va. Kenneth is a frequent patron of Wally’s Tiki Bar until a job loss prompts him to re-examine the past. Funny and emotional in equal measure, Primary Trust is not to be missed this fall. Tickets Signature Theatre, 4200 Campbell Avenue, Arlington, VA 22206 Clue – Sept. 17 – Oct. 6 What began as a Hasbro board game is now the ultimate whodunit of the stage. Clue comes to the Kennedy Center, bringing with it some of the most essential questions of our time: Was it Mrs. Peacock in the study with the knife? Or Colonel Mustard in the library with the wrench? Based on the 1985 Paramount Pictures adaptation, this production will pack of plenty of laughs in before its epic final twist. Tickets The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, 2700 F Street NW, Washington, DC 20566 Mister Lincoln – Sept. 20 – Oct. 13 Scott Bakula (pictured above) stars as Abraham Lincoln in Ford’s Theatre’s new production, a one-man show sure to captivate audiences as they’re immersed in the life of one of America’s most iconic leaders. Learn about Lincoln’s personal life as well as his advocacy and bravery in guiding the United States through the Civil War. Tickets Ford’s Theatre, 511 10th Street NW, Washington, DC 20004 Avatar: The Last Airbender In Concert – Sept. 27-28 Known as one of the most groundbreaking animated series ever, Avatar: The Last Airbender features a powerful and iconic score that will be played by a live orchestra during this two-hour show at The National Theatre. Memorable scenes will be on-screen as the show’s incredible scope is brought to life. Original compositions have been expanded for this exclusive presentation. Tickets The National Theatre, 1321 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20004 The Ford/Hill Project – Sept. 30 In a special presentation to benefit the Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company, The Ford/Hill Project is a new play that examines the historic testimonies of Anita Hill and Christine Blasey Ford. An ensemble of four actors speak verbatim from the transcripts of hearings that saw these two women, 30 years apart, share stories from private moments in their lives. Tickets Woolly Mammoth Theatre, 641 D Street NW, Washington, DC 20004 Babbitt – Oct. 1-27 Star of the big screen for decades and two-time Tony winner Matthew Broderick makes his Shakespeare Theatre Company debut with this momentous adaptation of Sinclair Lewis’ beloved novel. Broderick takes on the role of George F. Babbitt, a middle-class American everyman whose life suddenly turns upside down. Tickets Harman Hall, 610 F Street NW, Washington, DC 20004 Romeo and Juliet – Oct. 1 – Nov. 10 Shakespeare’s timeless story of star-crossed lovers is also a story of the politics of warring families and the violence that consumes them. When all the systems meant to protect and guide a pair of young lovers—familial, religious, and governmental—fail them, can they find a way to safeguard their future despite the chaos around them? Tickets Folger Shakespeare Library, 201 East Capitol Street SE, Washington, DC 20003 The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee – Oct. 11-20 Since its Tony Award-winning debut, The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee has captivated audiences of all ages. The spellbinding (pun intended) musical follows six contestants (and potentially some audience members) in their efforts to win the bee, sharing poignant stories along the way. Tickets The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, 2700 F Street NW, Washington, DC 20566 Mean Girls – Oct. 15-20 The Broadway sensation based on the Lindsay Lohan hit movie returns to Washington, DC. Crafted by Tina Fey, with music written by her husband, Jeff Richmond, this production is sure to take the tale of Cady Heron and The Plastics to all-new heights. Tickets will be in very high demand, so purchase yours as soon as possible. Tickets The National Theatre, 1321 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20004 The Other Americans – Oct. 18 – Nov. 24 Emmy Award-winning actor, comedian and producer John Leguizamo is the mastermind behind this compelling drama that will make its world debut at Arena Stage. Leguizamo plays Nelson Castro, a Colombian American laundromat owner in Queens who is dealing with a failing business. When his son, Nick, returns from a mental wellness facility after a traumatic incident, Nelson must reckon with his past, protect his family and attempt to preserve the future. Tickets Arena Stage, 1101 6th Street SW, Washington, DC 20024 when WE take flight – Oct. 24-27 Featuring the music of Stravinsky and choreography by George Balanchine, Gustavo Ramirez Sansano and Edward Liang, when WE take flight is a stunning showcase of the dynamic range and skill of The Washington Ballet company dancers. Warner Theatre audiences will be treated to a brilliantly crafted combination of classical music, mambo rhythms, collective movement, neo-classical style and gorgeous choreography. Tickets Warner Theatre, 513 13th Street NW, Washington, DC 20004 The Life and Music of George Michael – Oct. 25 Few pop stars in history have scaled the global heights of George Michael, from his emergence as part of WHAM! to a decades-long solo career packed with unforgettable songs and moments. Attendees of this epic, one-night-only show at The National Theatre are sure to be dancing in the aisles as they experience Michael’s music like never before, from “Wake Me Up Before You Go Go” to “Careless Whisper” to “Freedom” to “Faith” and many, many more. 8 p.m. | Tickets The National Theatre, 1321 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20004 Fidelio – Oct. 25 – Nov. 4 The Washington National Opera (WNO) presents Beethoven’s story of resistance, freedom and dissent at one of DC’s most illustrious venues. The Kennedy Center hosts the new production that launches the WNO’s 2024-25 season. Beethoven’s only opera, which was last performed by the WNO more than 30 years ago, is an inspiring tale of how love can conquer tyranny. Tickets The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, 2700 F Street NW, Washington, DC 20566 A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum – Oct. 29 – Jan. 12, 2025 Sondheim takes ancient Rome in one of the greatest musical comedies ever. This Tony Award-winning play zeroes in on three neighboring households who notice, just outside their front doors, the exploits of a rowdy gang which includes a Roman slave, a soldier, a lovesick man and a gorgeous courtesan. You’re in for some retro Broadway brilliance at Signature Theatre in Arlington, Va. Tickets Signature Theatre, 4200 Campbell Avenue, Arlington, VA 22206 Data – Oct. 31 – Dec. 15 Go behind the locked doors of Silicon Valley in this intriguing, suspense-laden play from Matthew Libby. Maneesh is an entry-level programmer at Athena Technologies, a data-mining firm. His brilliance prompts a transfer over to Data Analytics, where Maneesh sees what Athena is actually up to. Torn between idealism and success, the protagonist must come to terms with his identity. Tickets Arena Stage, 1101 6th Street SW, Washington, DC 20024 The Second City’s Dance Like There’s Black People Watching – Nov. 6 – Dec. 22 From the creators of Black Side of the Moon and She the People comes a highly anticipated new production at Woolly Mammoth Theatre. The Second City returns with an exclusive new show created just for Woolly Mammoth filled with rising stars, hilarious songs and sketches and razor-sharp satire, all together in a perfect improv package. Tickets Woolly Mammoth Theatre, 641 D Street NW, Washington, DC 20004 Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse Live in Concert – Nov. 8-9 After shows featuring the music from the first animated Spider-Verse film sold out worldwide, the spectacle returns after a smash-hit sequel debuted in 2023. The movie will be screened on a colossal HD video screen as an ensemble of instrumentalists perform the score and soundtrack live, including a full orchestra, a skilled scratch DJ and percussion. Tickets The National Theatre, 1321 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20004 SIX – Nov. 12 – Dec. 1 The National Theatre welcomes back a Broadway smash for three weeks only this fall. SIX is a her-story of the six wives of Henry VIII – each tossed brutally aside by the psychotic ruler – filled with euphoric music in a remix of 500 years of historical heartbreak. Critically acclaimed and adored all over the world, DC is privileged to yet again host this magnificent stage spectacle. Tickets The National Theatre, 1321 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20004 Next, dive into this fall's must-see museum exhibits. Header image: the cast of Arena Stage’s Anything Goes by C. Stanley Photography
